17 Hours and counting
by CaramelCarmen
Summary: 20 year old Bella Swan has finally gotten the chance to run far away from her life and get that taste of freedom she has been craving all her life. But in the end, how far will she really get?


_**17 hours and counting**_

**So guys, new story!!!!! and I am actually excited to be writing this one! So just a few things before y'all start reading. numero uno - i need a beta so if anyone out there fancys the job, let me know! and finally you all know the drill people, read and review, read and review!!**

* * *

**Chap 1**

_**BPOV**_

I rested my forehead against the window sighing wearily, my breath fogging up the glass pane. I reached up and traced the drops of rain running down the window as the taxi moved at a snails pace, at this rate I was going to miss my flight, and then I'd end up stuck in this damn place forever. I groaned and rubbed my hands roughly over my face as though I could scrub away my tiredness whilst the cabbie up front chuckled. I whipped my head around to him wondering what he found so funny, he chuckled once more before stating gruffly.

"Rough night"

I rolled my eyes stretching my legs out in front of me as I closed my tired eyes mumbling quietly back to the cabbie.

"Yeah, like you wouldn't believe."

I squinted open my eyes to see him turn his attention back to the road to watch the rain pelt down and the few cars speed by. I moved my eyes back to the radio clock watching the harsh bright red letters blink hastily at me, 2:48 in the morning, who the hell decides to be up at this time, oh yeah me and chatty cabbie up front. I groaned in frustration scrunching my eyes up tight feeling like a cranky child who needs a nap time.

I dug through my bag blindly not having the will power to open my eyes back up and search for it, I grasped my phone in my hand and held it up in front of my face peeking through my eyes slightly to see if I had any new calls or messages. My breath rushed out of my throat in a rush almost making me choke as I realised I had a new message off of Charlie, I didn't even know he knew how to use a phone, no doubt one of his work buddies wrote it while he dictated. I bit down hard on my bottom lip nervously as I clicked to open the message.

_Isabella, once you've stopped being a brat and behaving like a child and have come to your senses. Ring me. _

I bit down even harder on my lip drawing blood as my eyebrows burrowed at his text message, damn I must be in trouble he only calls me Isabella when he's really aggravated by me which is mostly all the of the time, I sighed heavily before typing back

_I'm 20 years old hardly a child. __**You**__ ring __**me**__ back when you stop being a dick._

I threw my phone into my bag grumbling under my breath about Charlie when the annoying cabbie turned around again and muttered

"Had a bad night, eh?"

"Just drive." I snapped crankily

He turned back to the front finally realising I wasn't n the mood to chat, all I wanted in that moment was a big bottle of chilled vodka, a bed I could fall back on and a smoke, mmm I've not needed one of them in a while I really must be stressed, that's the only time I ever crave them.

I suddenly started fidgeting now that I craved a smoke and new that I couldn't get one till we got to the airport and even then I'd be lucky with the pace this cab was going at, I glanced up and asked the driver.

"How much longer till we get there?"

I cringed slightly at how needy my voice sounded in the small quiet space of the cab, damn Charlie and his damn text making me want a cigarette.

"About another 40 minutes depends on traffic really." The cabbie shrugged nonchalantly

I snorted at that, why the hell would we hit traffic at this time of the morning, its 3am who would be out. Needless to say my snorting stopped ten minutes later when we hit traffic, my mouth dropped open in shock as I saw all the red brake lights queued up behind each other waiting to move, horns honking, drivers cursing and a specific cabbie laughing at me yet again as I frowned and turned to glare out of the window pursing my lips just wanting to get moving and get as far away from forks as soon as possible.

Twenty minutes later and we had barely moved from the spot we first started off in, I huffed loudly before bursting out.

"Cant this piece of junk move any faster, I have places to be."

I heard the driver snort at me harshly before turning round to glare at me while we were at a standstill.

"This piece of junk is what's getting you somewhere, so unless you wanna get out and walk to the airport I suggest you quit complaining already."

My mouth dropped open in shock as the cabbie grunted like a caveman once in approval before turning round to watch the road his shoulders hunched together in obvious stress as I watched his eyes narrow at each droplet of rain landed on the windscreen, slowly obscuring his view of the cars in front. I sighed heavily already internally cringing about what I was going to say next.

"Look driver listen up because I'm not going to repeat this again and I never do this, ever! So count yourself lucky. I'm...I'm sorry okay. Sorry for grating your nerves, I'll keep quiet from now on."

I watched the back of the cabbie carefully to see if he got any more stressed, I started to get freaked out when his shoulders started moving up and down rapidly. Oh crap what if he's like The Incredible Hulk and changes into this huge green guy who just squishes people who get him all riled up, I am so dead. So imagine my shock when I realised he was just laughing at me, Bastard! I leaned forward and slapped him on the arm hard for laughing at my apology to him, when he suddenly let out a deep belly laugh, making me jump in shock from how loud his laugh echoed in the tiny tin can he called a cab.

I leant back in my seat, my lips pursed, glaring at the cabbie and his insulting behaviour, and that ladies and gentleman is why I don't apologize to anyone, not even my own father, because as soon as you put yourself on the line for someone then there's no stepping back you have to deal with whatever they dish out at you and in Mr. cabbies case it means he laughs like he's never laughed before while I glare at him from the back seat hoping I could shoot red burning hot lasers at him, yeah we'd see who's laughing then.

The driver turned back to look at me as his chuckles were dying down but as soon as he caught a glance of me he burst back into laughter, man this guy can do wonders for a girls self esteem. I watched as the tears of mirth ran down his cheeks from his continuous laughter and an arm locked around his stomach where no doubt he had cramp from laughing so much, ha serves him right for laughing at me for all this time.

A loud honking of a horn made us both jump in shock as his laughter dried up and he turned to face the road and saw that the line of traffic had started to crawl along slowly. We followed the long line of cars like the cows would at a cattle market as I turned to my previous position, my head leaning against the window as I watched the travel faster than what we were down the glass pane, gathering more drops on its journey down, oh how bored I was watching rain drop I might as well have watched paint dry considering how bored I was.

"So where abouts are you heading kid, once you get to the airport?" cabbie asked me

I groaned loudly and slammed my head heavily backwards wincing slightly before I ground out

"Ugh I new I should have gotten another cab, I just knew you were gonna be on of those chatty cabbies, who just talks all the time."

He laughed loudly, his hands slapping down on the steering wheel making a loud cracking noise echo through the taxi reminding me of the sound of the thunder, as the cabbie started to talk again humour lacing through with his words.

"yeah, and I just knew you were gonna be a real crack up now hush down and answer the question or I just might do good on my offer and make you walk."

In a moment of immaturity I darted my tongue out of my mouth to wiggle at him childishly before sighing heavily and answering him quietly, hoping he wouldn't hear my mumbles.

"I have no idea what I'm doing I'm just running right now."

But of course being a cabbie he had super sonic bat hearing and heard every word I had said and as the traffic stopped he turned to face me once more.

"Now id, what have you got to run away from, you look like those type of kids who have everything they would ever need." Cabbie man sighed

Huh, if only he knew of all the things I didn't have in my life or growing up I thought to myself bitterly. Cabbie man rolled his eyes at his failed attempt to get me to open up to him and turned back round in his seat to follow the sea of red brake lights in front.

"So any ideas on where you're planning on flying to?"

I shook my head a small smile playing on my lips at cabbies less than subtle questions to get me to tell him what I'm going to be doing.

"Ah you know the usual, going to Europe and joining a brothel." I stated seriously

I watched as cabbie mans eyes popped wide open along with his mouth as he tried to form the words to speak while I tried keeping a straight face at his expression until I couldn't hold back my snorts in any longer and exclaimed

"Ha-ha. Your face! No I'm actually planning on going to France, Paris to be exact, go see some culture, have a little holiday, you know?"

He nodded his head to show that he understood what I meant as I carried on, it was like word vomit and I just couldn't stop speaking

"Yeah the weather might not be too good this time of year but you get used to bad weather, living in forks all your life I guess."

The cabbie snorted at that silently agreeing with me and I finally shut my mouth

"I know tell me about it, all Forks' ever seems to do is rain but I wouldn't find anywhere else to live, I'm too attached now I guess."

I nodded absently to him turning my gaze to the cars alongside of ours, a small smile graced my lips as I saw a baby dozing it its little baby chair oblivious to all the chaos going on around it, when the cabbie spoke to me again breaking me out of my daze.

"Were gonna be stuck in this traffic for about an hour kid, so you might want to get comfortable back there while we wait."

I smiled softly and graciously at him showing him my thanks and du around in my bag, yanking my new shiny silver, fancy laptop, my eyes gleaming at my pride and joy which I managed to buy all by myself with my own money. I cautiously opened it up still being delicate around my new baby before powering it up.

The cabbie up front was humming quietly to himself and I found myself smiling slightly remembering when Charlie used to do that when I was a kid and when he was happy back then even if it was only for a short time his off beat and out of time humming always used to make me smile, now anything to do with Charlie just makes me come down with a migraine. Once my laptop was successfully on I clicked onto my emails to find a new email from one of my only close friends I have. Angela.

_Bella, where the hell are you?!? Just had your Pop around mine screaming at Ben when I was suppose to be getting my sexy time. What a major mood killer__ . Where you at anyways never heard your old man this mad before. Whatever I just wouldn't come back right now let him rant it off first!!_

_Ang - x- _

I smiled at the email just imaging the scene of Charlie turning up at Angela's and having a rant at Angela's newest boy of the month. Angela is most probably one of the only people that I actually trust and let her throw all types of shit at me, if anyone else went off on me they'd probably end up with a nice looking shiner for the next week, but I let Angela get away with it. We first met when she tried to steal the last tub of Ben and Jerry's from me. I was planning on having a mope in night while Charlie was on the late shift while she was planning to have a get over her newest flavour of the month. Needless to say after a bit of cat fighting she ended up back at mine while we shared the tub and bitched about our lives and everyone in them.

_Ang, don't be worrying over me I'm fine. I'm just going off to find myself and get away from Charlie. Sorry about ruining your sexy time__ (not really). Will get in touch soon when I know what I'm doin._

_Bell's - x- _

Once I had replied I started looking up all the things I could do in Paris, there were all the art museums, the sightseeing, the food the clubs and don't forget all the hot Parisian guys that were there. I sighed. Yeah wishful thinking on my half no doubt I would end up spending my time in France being a mopey emo whiny bitch, but whatever it was my holiday I could be however I want to be.

_Bella, sure hope you have fun in Paris, you better bring me something back bitch lol, and no worries on the Charlie front I wont tell him anything. Be safe ;)_

_Ang - x – _

I grinned at my new email oh how I was going to miss my friend, but it was time for me to live my life and no one else's for once. Renée would be proud of me for doing this for living an adventure before I became too old or tied down like she was. I felt my heart clench painfully at the thought of Renée but I quickly pushed it to the back of my mind. No, I wouldn't think of her right now.

"Hey kid. Traffic's clearing up. We should be there pretty soon." Cabbie announced

I nodded absently at him still fiddling with my laptop not paying much attention to him as I glanced through all my past emails deleting those which I didn't need I cringed at some of the painful ones from those bitches from school, who knew cheerleaders could be so vindictive. Once everything was cleared and I had nothing else to do I put my laptop carefully back into its case and bit down on my lip glancing around the small cab wondering what I was suppose to do now. But it seemed taxi man driver wanted to make some more conversation before dropping me off.

"So where are you staying then once you get over there. You got any family?"

I sighed getting comfy on the worn through leather seats and shrugged

"Was just planning on staying in hostels and that's about it really."

Cabbies eyes furrowed making his age more prominent through his wrinkles before he sighed heavily

"Ya know kid, these hostels aren't exactly the safest place to stay at, and with you having no family out there what happens if you get in trouble and need some help. Look all I'm saying is maybe you should rethink your plan a little more."

I felt a growl building in my throat as yet another person was telling me what to do with my life and I burst out

"Listen here cabbie I know your just trying be friendly and thanks and all but no thanks, this was what I set out to do and I'm gonna go through with it. So what if I don't know where I'm gonna be in the next few days that's the thrill of it isn't it. Not knowing where your gonna end up or how your even gonna get there."

The cabbie still had the wrinkles etched into his face and he nodded his head minutely before grunting out

"You're right kid. Sorry."

I leaned over and poked him in the air trying to alleviate the sudden tension in the small cab

"Will ya quit calling me kid already. I'm 20 years old for Christ sake!"

It worked as I saw the cabbie chuckle and watch his driving

"Yeah well quit calling me cabbie then. The name's Billy."

"Fine, _Billy_." I stressed his name a slight snort escaping me.

I watched as Billy chuckled to himself as he went back to watching the traffic slowly drip by. The rain was still pouring down and I was happy about the fact I was going to at least get some better weather out of this holiday. I leant back in my seat closing my eyes just taking a moment to relax, I could already feel the tell tale signs of a migraine starting from all of this stress and no doubt thinking about Charlie. I rubbed my fingers against my temples, trying to ease the pain to the back of my mind while I thought about what I was going to do. Would I ever go back to Fork's? I don't think so. But then that left me with what was I going to do instead then? I could always have a holiday and move back to Washington, just not forks though. Maybe Seattle, find a job, a place to live, make a new life. I groaned feeling the pain in my head increase ten fold. Ugh I couldn't do any intense thinking right now.

I rummaged around in my bag pulling out the bottle of Tylenol before popping two of the small pills into my mouth swallowing them down hastily hoping they would numb the major migraine I was feeling at the moment. I threw the now empty bottle in my bag and groaned wishing I could just be on my flight so I could get some sleep.

"Just ten more minutes now kiddo."

I pouted at the 'kiddo' reference Billy made even when he said he wouldn't, son of a bitch. Man I was cranky hopefully this tin can could move faster and get me there quicker, I was running late already. I decided for the last leg of the journey I would just chill out and be calm before I went rushing into the airport like a mad man trying to get on my flight. I peered over cabbie mans shoulder to glance at the clock and screamed. Oh my god. I was never going to get on my flight, my flight is almost going to be finished boarding. I scrubbed my fists over my eyes praying that I wouldn't cry like a big baby, and took some deep calming breaths, when I realised cabbie man was talking to me.

"Jeez, what's with the screaming is everything okay? Do you need me to pull over?"

I shook my head quickly and muttered out in one breath.

"No! You need to step on it my planes boarding right now."

So what does the insensitive jerk do? He laughs out loud at me once more as I stared at him in shock of how cruel he was being about my predicament.

"I don't know why your laughing but I don't care I just need you to get me to the airport like right now!"

"You don't need to worry about the plane going off without you right now." he chuckled

I sighed. He wasn't calming me down at the moment, just getting me even more worked up. I threaded my fingers through my hair giving it a hard tug as I got even more frustrated with the cabbie. He was still chuckling away when I exploded. Literally.

"Why the hell is this so funny to you?"

My arms were thrown up in the air, my hair a wild mess from all the tugging that I had done and I had two blotchy red spots high on my cheekbones from being so stressed. Billy turned round to finally look at me when he saw I was being serious and didn't find anything about this situation amusing and he sobered up quickly before he got me even more worked up. Good choice. He cleared his throat awkwardly, shrugging before stating.

"The clock's dodgy is all. It switches between going forward and back an hour depending on how fast the cabs going."

My mouth propped open before I went back to scowling and muttered under my breath.

"This cab really is a piece of junk."

For once Billy didn't make a comment about me slighting his precious cab. I sat back again trying to take some calming breaths and no more freaking out. I still have an hour to get there and get booked in and about 10 more minutes left in this cab before I decide to kill the cabbie up front. Thankfully we got to the airport just short of ten minutes and I almost ran out to kiss the floor but I managed to restrain myself and instead got out and went to grab my bag out of the trunk. Billy was already there handing my bags a slight smile graced across his face. He patted me once on the arm before moving back to the front of the cab whilst saying to me softly

"Hope you find what you're looking for."

"Hey what about the fare?" I asked him

He shrugged. He climbed behind the wheel before leaning over to look up at me and sticking his hand out for me to shake. He grasped my tiny hand in his mammoth sized one as he grinned up at me. He shot off in his cab departing with a

"See you around kiddo!"

I shook my head squeezing my eyes tight together it was too early for all of this to be going on. I made my way into the airport and thankfully it wasn't too busy as I made my way towards check-in. Once everything was checked in and I was in the departures lounge I finally got a moment to sit down and just relax without worrying about anything at the moment.

I fished my IPod out of my pocket and drowned out the babble of everyone else around me as I looked around at the people sat around at this time of the morning. I saw a lot of business workers looking uncomfortable and about as tired as I felt, their suits all wrinkled from the amount of travelling they had done. There were the over the top type air hostesses with a face caked with makeup as they strutted up and down the aisles trying to get any type of attention. Then I saw him.

He was sat just like me, looking exhausted and annoyed, ear buds stuffed in his ears as he tried to ignore everyone around him. I watched his eyebrows furrow slightly before his head snapped towards me, those beautiful eyes staring at me with such.....hate? Who the hell does he think he is. I glared back at him while also checking him out at the same time as we both tried to out do each other with the glare stare. I won in the end as begrudgingly stalked away from his seat his shoulder hunched letting everyone around him know that he was pissed off. Bastard. I shook my head slightly to clear the fog of all his dazzling looks out of my head before looking back around the departures lounge not giving the beautiful copper haired Adonis another thought.

Just as I had started to get bored of people watching one of the slutty air hostesses started calling people up for boarding. Gathering all of my stuff together I made my way over to the boarding gate and grit my teeth hard as hostess Barbie gave me a once over before smirking and checking me through. I glanced down at my clothes, sure I didn't look like a runway model but I was in a rush and I wanted to be comfortable on my long journey. Plucking at my jeans and t-shirt I carried on walking down to the plane not willing that bimbo Barbie to make me feel insecure about myself. At least the air hostess at the plane door smiled and wished me a good morning but I guess that's her job.

This was the worst part of getting on the plane, having to find your seat and find out who your sat next too for the next couple of hours. With my luck I'll probably get a happy go lucky large guy who takes up way too much room and has no respect for personal space. Shuddered to myself as I slowly walked up the aisle glancing up at the little metal tabs saying which row it was.

"10A, 10A, 10A." I kept murmuring to myself

As I finally located my seat I smiled, no one was sat there yet but the even better part I was an aisle seat, meaning a quick escape from who I sit next to if I have to. I quickly sat down in my seat and reached up to switch on the little fan as I felt the sweat start to gather and stick to my skin. I was always a nervous flyer. My eyes drifted shut as I felt the cool breeze caressing my skin calming me slightly, when someone jerked into my side.

Eyes rolling and heavy sighing I sat up in my seat opening my eyes and looking around, nearly everyone was seated now as the air hostess shut the door effectively sealing us in. A throat was cleared an I turned to my left and saw a tall figure stood next to my chair a little too close for my liking and uttered in a low voice.

"Excuse me, I'm in 10B."

I nodded at him and stood up so he could squeeze past, slightly wary about this guy and he didn't ease my fears when he rubbed up against me slightly. I felt slightly violated as I sat back down rubbing my hands up and down my legs as if I could rub him off me, when I felt his eyes on me. I slowly turned my head and he was there watching me his blue eyes twinkling deviously as I quickly looked away nervously. Great. Trust me to sit next to a psychopath who likes to rub up against people.

Out of the corner of my eye I watched as he messed with his blonde pony tail, and shift agitatedly in his seat. I blocked out whatever the airhostess was saying as she pointed to various exits and went through the emergency procedures. Curling my legs underneath me, my hands gripping down hard on the arm rests as the plane slowly started to move forward on the runway and start to incline and...We...were...off! I clenched my jaw, breathing harshly through my nose as we carried on going higher when the psycho next to me leaned in close and whispered.

" Nervous flyer?"

I nodded hoping he would back off as he was making me even more nervous being so close to me when he seemed to laugh at his own joke and then it felt like he was sniffing me. I stiffened in my chair and moved as far over on my seat to try and get away from him. When we were finally steadily gliding along I started to loosen up in my seat. First mistake.

When the seatbelt sign went off I eagerly whipped off the belt feeling more comfortable and less like a prisoner. Second mistake. Then I tipped my head back and closed my eyes trying to get my heart rate back down. Third mistake. The next thing I know my hair is being yanked along with my body out of the seat I was in and I was being dragged down the aisle. I felt something cold and hard being pressed into my neck and my eyes shut too afraid to be a witness of what was happening while my heart rate spiked again at the realisation of what it was.

"Nobody move, or else this little fire cracker goes bang!"

* * *

**Soooooo what did y'all think??**


End file.
